Scotland, Dundee & Forfarshire (Angus) Hearth Tax 1691

Did you have Scottish ancestors from Dundee and the county of Forfarshire (Angus)? Search these Hearth Tax records from 1691 to find out the number of hearths found within their home, these will give you a clue to the family’s wealth and status.

In 1690, Parliament granted a tax of 14 shillings on hearths including kilns.

Heads of households, landowners, and tenants were liable for the tax, only hospitals and the poor living on charity from the parish were exempt from the tax. The money raised from the tax was then used to fund the army.

There were difficulties encountered when collecting the tax, particularly in the Highlands and remote areas of Scotland, the collection went on for several years until August 1694 when a proclamation called for all hearth lists to be sent to the treasury before 1 October 1694.